Seat track assemblies are commonly used for forward and rearward comfort adjustment of seats, particularly seats in motor vehicles. Such seats normally have a seat base and a seat back, with the seat back pivotably connected to the seat base by a recliner. Upper seat tracks are slidable over lower seat tracks, and are secured together by a latch assembly. When such seats are positioned, for example, in the front row of a 2-door vehicle, it can be desirable to be able to move the seats forward to allow access to a back row of the motor vehicle. Easy entry, as that term is used by those skilled in the art, refers to a seat mounted on a seat track assembly in which the upper seat tracks can be readily unlatched from the lower tracks and the seat slid forward, allowing greater access to the back row.
Memory, as that term is used by those skilled in the art of seat track assemblies, refers to a seat track assembly having a system in which the seat returns to a preselected position. In single point memory systems the seat re-latches when returned to one particular position preselected by the manufacturer. Known single point memory designs greatly increase the cost and complexity of seat track assemblies. It would be desirable to have a low cost memory feature having fewer components and greater reliability.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seat track assembly having single point memory with reduced cost, complexity and enhanced manufacturability. It is yet another related object of the present invention to provide an easy entry seat track assembly with single point memory that is highly reliable in operation.